Archive for the 'Earl Clark' Tag Under 'Lakers' Category

SAN ANTONIO -- With the Lakers needing to win four of the next six games against San Antonio to keep their season alive, here's an early peek toward next season.

There will most likely be significant turnover of the roster then, too.

The Lakers have seven players who will be free agents for certain because their contracts are expiring: Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison, Earl Clark, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock Robert Sacre and Devin Ebanks.

Howard is believed to be returning but has not committed. As far as sure things in the other direction, no one is more locked in to leaving than Ebanks, who had the indignity Sunday of being taken off the active roster.

How down is Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni on Ebanks? Jordan Hill, who is not going to play in this series as he recovers from hip surgery, was in uniform and on the active roster in place of the healthy Ebanks, who sat behind the Lakers' bench in normal clothes.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Lakers' one iron man in this injury-filled season, forward Metta World Peace, was diagnosed Tuesday with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.

World Peace figures to be out for the rest of the season, assuming he needs surgery, but he offered via his Twitter account: "Recovery time hopefully is a week and a half." He took that Tweet down minutes later and posted: "I can't wait to get back But our team is so good We will win and get into the playoffs."

An MRI in Minneapolis showed the tear, but the Lakers are waiting until World Peace sees Lakers doctor Steve Lombardo on Wednesday in Los Angeles to announce any treatment or timetable. A general prognosis with surgery to repair such a cartilage injury would be 6-to-8 weeks, although Minnesota's Chase Budinger recently returned from four months off after surgery to repair his lateral meniscus tear.

World Peace's playing time would fall to Jodie Meeks, Earl Clark, Antawn Jamison and Steve Blake -- assuming sore-footed Pau Gasol can return to form as the starting power forward. World Peace didn't recall how he hurt the knee late in the second quarter Monday at Golden State.

World Peace, 33, is a candidate to be cut by the Lakers via the NBA's amnesty provision this offseason; he is scheduled to make $7.7 million next season on a player option.

OAKLAND -- The Lakers' hope was that Pau Gasol's return from injury would, after years of disappointments, create a consistently solid second unit.

The Lakers figured to have enough depth that fill-in starter Earl Clark wouldn't even have regular minutes once Gasol got back to his usual level of conditioning.

But the Lakers' depth was woefully lacking Monday night at Golden State with Antawn Jamison struggling to adjust to a sprained right wrist suffered last game and then starting small forward Metta World Peace not playing the second half because of a strained left knee.

Welcome back, Earl.

Shooting guard Jodie Meeks started the second half in World Peace's place. World Peace did return to the Lakers' bench before the fourth quarter, moving around some on the leg. The Lakers have Tuesday off before a back-to-back set at Minnesota on Wednesday and Milwaukee on Thursday, and World Peace said he didn't know if he would be ready -- or how he even hurt the knee.

PHOENIX -- The Lakers' lack of depth was apparent in their loss Monday night without injured Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but it's fairly likely that both will be back in action in the next Lakers game Friday night vs. Washington.

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said about the return of Bryant, who joined the team on the bench for the second half in Phoenix: "Probably Friday."

Gasol is scheduled to undergo an ultrasound exam Tuesday regarding soreness in his right foot that had a plantar fascia tear, but the Lakers' expectation that he is ready to return was clear given D'Antoni talking about using practices Wednesday and Thursday to reintegrate Gasol.

Earl Clark, who replaced Gasol as a starter when Metta World Peace was struggling to defend quick small forwards and D'Antoni wanted more athleticism, had a poor game Monday night with repeated mental breakdowns. D'Antoni plans to have Gasol start and finish games again, and the two were already huddling in the Lakers' training room after the game late Monday night.

About that lack of depth without both Bryant and Gasol -- and not playing Darius Morris, Chris Duhon, Devin Ebanks or Robert Sacre until garbage time Monday night in a back-to-back situation -- D'Antoni said: "It means they're not playing well enough to play."

The Lakers weren't holding out any hope that forward Jordan Hill would return to health this season, but it's definite now that he won't: Hill got a second opinion and is scheduled for season-ending surgery on his left hip Wednesday morning.

Hill has a torn labrum in the hip. A projection for his recovery will be made after surgery, but the Lakers won't have his energy and rebounding in the paint again this season. Hill was the primary backup big man to Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, but since Hill's latest injury the Lakers have replaced Hill in the rotation with Earl Clark.

Clark fits D'Antoni's perimeter-oriented system better than Hill and was anointed Monday the permanent starting power forward over Gasol.

Hill has been impressive when given the chance for minutes this season, although he was also dealing with a herniated disk in his back. Hill signed a two-year deal with the Lakers in the offseason, although his $3.6 million due next season is a team option.

Say hello to Earl Clark, because Mike D'Antoni sure isn't about to say good-bye to him.

"Hopefully we found something there," D'Antoni said after Clark's 22 points and 13 rebounds in the Lakers' losing effort Wednesday night in San Antonio.

D'Antoni said Clark's play earned him many more chances in the playing rotation that he hasn't cracked all season except for last game in Houston, when the Lakers were also depleted by injuries. Asked if he was surprised by Clark's performance, D'Antoni said: "Or I'm an idiot for not playing him."

Lakers fans disgruntled by their 15-20 record might be ready to answer that for him.

Clark's emergence will hurt the cause for playing time of Antawn Jamison, who hasn't been thrilled with how little D'Antoni has used him this season. D'Antoni had begun giving Jamison some token minutes behind Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill, but when all three return to health, it'll be tough for both Clark and Jamison to play.

Pau Gasol's struggle of a season hit an even lower point Tuesday in Houston with the decision to sit out his first game of the season because of ongoing discomfort in both knees.

Gasol said an MRI on his knees is possible after the Lakers return home, so he is not expected to play Wednesday night in New Orleans or Friday night in Oklahoma City. He might be out longer than that, but Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said: "Pau'll be out until he feels better. I think he'll feel better pretty quick."

Gasol said he has been finishing games "very sore" but resisted the idea to rest the knees -- "especially when things haven't been going so well." He had been hoping for some relief since pain and stiffness arose in training camp, but there "hasn't been any improvement, so it didn't make any sense to continue to push through it and play at a lower percentage than my capability."

Gasol is averaging 12.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 34.8 minutes this season. But he has ceded key minutes recently to backup Antawn Jamison, who has been more active in D'Antoni's new spread offense. Gasol is being asked to adjust to fewer post-up chances -- Kobe Bryant asked him to "put your big-boy pants on" after the Lakers' last loss -- and contribute in other ways, but that transition will go on hold.

The Lakers want to see how all the players work together once point guard Steve Nash returns from his leg fracture, so it makes sense for Gasol to wait until he is "close to 100 percent or 100 percent," he said, and do his best with Nash. If Gasol still struggles with Nash, the Lakers are more apt to trade Gasol for more speed and athleticism, but Gasol is looking forward to being healthy for the postseason, saying that's the time all the players "have to deliver."

Pau Gasol sat on the bench in street clothes Tuesday at the Honda Center, having received the night off from Lakers coach Mike Brown.

Brown said he thought Gasol, who played in the Summer Games in London, looked "fatigued" so he sat the power forward. Gasol scored 11 points and had four rebounds in the Lakers' exhibition against Utah in 28 minutes three nights earlier and played 31 minutes against Portland last week.

Gasol was joined on the bench by Dwight Howard (back), Jordan Hill (back) and Earl Clark (right groin).

The Lakers' frontcourt depth took another temporary hit upon Earl Clark suffering a strained left groin.

Clark has been among a group of Lakers reserves who haven't made a significant impression in training camp. Clark had been unlikely to see significant playing time, especially if Dwight Howard and Jordan Hill wind up feeling fine from their back problems.

Clark, 24, is 6-foot-10 but relies on his athleticism and is projected more as a small forward than a paint presence. He arrived with Howard and Chris Duhon in the trade from Orlando, but Antawn Jamison and Devin Ebanks would more likely get backup small-forward minutes behind Metta World Peace than Clark.